Improved amalgamator



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Letters Patent O. 63,221, elated ZlIm'ci 26, i867; a-nerlatetl hrm-cit 19, lSi'.

lMPROV-ED AMALGAMATR.

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TO ALLWHOM IT'MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that l, FRANCIS W. CROsBY,-`ot` the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a nenr and improved Apparatus for the Anialgamation of Gold and Silver Orcs; and I do hereby declare thelfollowing to be afull and exact description thereoi, reference being had to thc accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which a vertical central section is represented as drawn through my improved apparatus, showing its several features and the details thereof. i

The nature of my invention consists in the trituration ot orcs when submerged in a bat-h of quicksilver or molten lead, and also in the combination for this'purpose of grinding surfaces with the base or bottom ci an extended, upright, ore-supplying cylinder or chamber and the interior of an enclosing amalgam vessel formed to contain quichsilver or molten lead. The feeding or ore-supplying chamber A. of my improved apparatus is constructed in the form ol' a long, upright, cylindrical vessel, gradually enlarging in diameter from top to bottom. This supplying chamber Aiis supported by suitable braces a, or otherwise, over and partially within an ainalgnmating vessel, B, which encloses its lower end. This lower end fits closely within an opening formed in the centre of a'circular plate, C, so that the ore in the chamber A niay fall through the plate C upon a lower grinding plate, D, placed beneath it. This lower plate D is equal in diameter to the upper annular platc'O, and is secured to an upright shaft, E, whose lower end is stepped and pivoted in a suitable bearing in the bottom ct' the amalgamating vessel B, and which extends thence vertically up through the centre of the ore-supplying cylinder A. The opposite faces of the stationary annular grinding plate C, and of the lower revolving plate D, are placed inY close proximity to each other, and I prefer so to form them as that they shall inclincupwardly in every direction from centre to circumerence, the' inclination 0i' the lower revolving plate D being made somewhat greater than that of the stef tionary plate C, so that the interval left between them shall diminish in approaching their circumference.4 The shaft E and its attached grinding plate D are 'made to revolve at pleasure bymeans of a pulley, F, and a belt communicating with any suitable motive power. The upper sident` the encircling plate C, around the lower end of the supplying chamber or cylinder A, is sloped upwardly towards its sides, as seen in thedrawing. n order to adapt my apparatus to the use of moltenlead as an amalgamating material, I propose to set the vessel within a suitable enclosing furnace, H, constructed of masonry or otherwise, haring a grate, K, and aslvpit, M, Voi' any eective form. In such case I ail'ord a support to the centre oi' the amalgamating vessel by means of a central hollow column, 0, ot` ireclay brick, or other proper material, and by opening a communication between the hollow central space of the column and the outer air, prevent the seatofthe bearing flor the sha-ft E, in thc centre of the bottoni of the alnalgamating vesseh'from becoming over-heated.

ln operating with my improved apparatus, the amalgamating vessel is filled with quicksilver or with molten lead, until the lower end ot the ore-supplying cylinder is fully immersed, as indicated by the yellow lines in the drawing. The supplying cylinder A is 'then filled with pulverized ore, and the shaft E put in revolution. The weight of the column of ore in the cylinder A will force the lower portion thereof down into the amalgal mating bath, and upon the revolving plate D, Vwhose motion will diffuse the particles of the ore and force them out radially between'thc surfaces ot' the plates D and C. These plates will gradually rub and grind each particle of the ore as Ait passes out between them tot their circumference, whilst the orc is in direct contact with the quiclrsilver or lead in the vessel, and thus the complete amalgamation of the precious metal in the ore is per fectly insured. So soon as the particles of ore have passed'out from between the grinding plates, their comn parative buoyancy will cause thcin to risc at once to the surface of the quicksilver or lead in the space between the supplying cylinder-and the insideof the amalgamating vessel, and to work out over the sides oi' said vessel. The form of thc interior of the oresupplying cylinder, by which its internal diameter increases towards the bottoni thereof, prevents the ore from packing,r therein. Where molten lead is used, its oxidation is prevented by the layer o'l` refuse orecovering it in thc space between the supplyingl cylinder and the .inner side of the umalgainating vessel, us well as by themassof ore within said cylinder. It is kept in a proper state of fusion by the i'ire in the furnace surrounding the amalgamating vessel. By means of the peculiar form of my amaia gainating vessel B, in combination with the ore-supplyin,r cylinder andthe grinding disks, lthe ore is so retarded in its passage through the molten lend, and the grinding action yot` theflisks causes such an intimate contact cf i t l 'l l i' i the `one vl'ith'the other, as that but a coinpzu'ativjely small quantity of the leztd'is required, whilst the smallest possible surface thereof is exposed to oxidation. Hating thus fully describedA my invention, what I claim' therein Patent, is

4 Grinding or triturating pulverizeclores when submerged in :1- ba-th of quicksilveror molten lead, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.. I

v Iolaim, also, the combination-of one or more grinding plates or surfaces with the bottom of an ore-supplying chamber o ,nd an enclosing bath of Quicksilver or moltenleed, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein'speoied.

I I claim, also, the combination of o hollow column or pillar, O, with the bottom of on amalgama-ting vessel, B, and an enclosing furnace, H, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. i

The foregoing specification of my improved amalgamnting apparatus signed b y me'this second day of April, A. D. 1866.

f FRANCIS W. CROSBY.

Witnesses;

H. H. YOUNG, DAVID A. BURR.

as new, and desire to seizurev by Letters 

